How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in San Diego, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in San Diego, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in San Diego, California earns $27.94 per hour, or $58,120 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,843 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $38,700, and the top 10% of earners make over $63,070.
That pay is 16% above the California figure of $50,110 and 21% above the national figure of $48,070. San Diego ranks 9th of 25 metro areas in California for Dental Assistant pay. About 4,260 Dental Assistants work in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area. San Diego is part of the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Carlsbad and Chula Vista share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in San Diego at a glance
- Typical pay is $27.94 an hour, or $58,120 a year.
- That is 16% above the California figure, ranking 9th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $38,700; the top 10% make over $63,070.
- Typical pay rose +49% from 2015 to 2025, against +35% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in San Diego?
Pay in San Diego runs from entry-level positions at around $18.61 an hour to more than $30.32 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in San Diego
| Career stage | San Diego | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $38,700$18.61 an hour | $38,790$18.65 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $44,550$21.42 an hour | $46,270$22.25 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $58,120$27.94 an hour | $50,110$24.09 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $60,070$28.88 an hour | $60,670$29.17 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $63,070$30.32 an hour | $73,700$35.43 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in San Diego
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in San Diego was $39,070 a year. By 2025 it had reached $58,120, a change of +49%, compared with +35% for California over the same years.
How San Diego compares with other California cities
Santa Clara pays Dental Assistants the most in California at $74,600 a year, $16,480 more than San Diego. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $46,630.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs San Diego | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara | $74,600 | $35.86 | +28% | 2,870 |
| 2 | Oakland metro incl. Fremont · San Francisco | $64,390 | $30.96 | +11% | 7,530 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $60,590 | $29.13 | +4% | 680 |
| 4 | Napa | $60,270 | $28.97 | +4% | 230 |
| 5 | Vallejo | $59,000 | $28.37 | +2% | 630 |
| 6 | Ventura metro incl. Thousand Oaks · Oxnard | $58,930 | $28.33 | +1% | 1,250 |
| 7 | Folsom metro incl. Sacramento · Roseville | $58,580 | $28.16 | +1% | 3,100 |
| 8 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $58,580 | $28.16 | +1% | 370 |
| 9 | San Diego metro incl. Carlsbad · Chula Vista | $58,120 | $27.94 | this city | 4,260 |
| 10 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $57,150 | $27.47 | -2% | 440 |
| 11 | Salinas | $56,790 | $27.30 | -2% | 570 |
| 12 | El Centro | $56,050 | $26.95 | -4% | 130 |
| 13 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $51,310 | $24.67 | -12% | 610 |
| 14 | Modesto | $50,170 | $24.12 | -14% | 890 |
| 15 | Fresno | $50,040 | $24.06 | -14% | 1,360 |
| 16 | Yuba City | $50,030 | $24.05 | -14% | 240 |
| 17 | Hanford metro incl. Corcoran | $49,980 | $24.03 | -14% | 200 |
| 18 | Lodi metro incl. Stockton | $49,090 | $23.60 | -16% | 780 |
| 19 | Merced | $48,520 | $23.33 | -17% | 250 |
| 20 | Ontario metro incl. Riverside · San Bernardino | $48,500 | $23.32 | -17% | 5,240 |
| 21 | Redding | $48,490 | $23.31 | -17% | 240 |
| 22 | Chico | $48,170 | $23.16 | -17% | 290 |
| 23 | Delano metro incl. Bakersfield | $48,100 | $23.12 | -17% | 990 |
| 24 | Anaheim metro incl. Los Angeles · Long Beach | $46,900 | $22.55 | -19% | 21,090 |
| 25 | Visalia | $46,630 | $22.42 | -20% | 480 |
Every metro area in California with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $50,110
Is San Diego a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistants in San Diego earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $58,120 a year, 21% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area, about 2.8 are Dental Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.5. Dental Assistant jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Assistant make in San Diego, CA?
- A typical Dental Assistant in San Diego earns $58,120 a year, or $27.94 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $38,700 and the top 10% earn over $63,070.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in San Diego?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in San Diego is $27.94. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $18.61, and the top 10% earn over $30.32 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in San Diego?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in San Diego typically offer around $18.61 an hour, or $38,700 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in San Diego higher than in the rest of California?
- San Diego pay is 16% above the California figure of $50,110 a year, ranking 9th of 25 metro areas in the state. Santa Clara pays the most in California at $74,600.